Innovative Fire Hall Douses High Energy Costs

Innovative building practices help make this fire hall up to 45 per cent more efficient than the model national energy code for buildings.

The new fire hall in the Hamlet of Benchlands has an old-fashioned western look, befitting its country setting west of Calgary. But beneath the rustic exterior lies a modern building with the latest in energy-efficiency technology, thanks in part to a ME first! interest-free loan.

The building - which also includes a library and community hall - features an innovative wall system with insulation sandwiched between two layers of pre-cast concrete, a high-efficiency condensing boiler, in-slab heating and energy-efficient lights and windows. The result is a building expected to be 45 per cent more energy efficient than the Model National Energy Code for Buildings (MNECB) and thus eligible for federal funding, on top of a $50,000 ME first! interest-free loan.

"It's going to be low cost to run and maintain, resulting in huge cost savings for a building that, because of its construction quality, is going to have a very long life," says Hugh Pettigrew, Director of Operations with the Municipal District of Bighorn, which has commissioned the fire hall.

The Benchlands fire hall is an excellent example of how even the smallest rural communities can undertake innovative, energy-efficient projects with a little help and ingenuity. To be eligible for federal funding, for example, the building had to be at least 25 per cent more efficient than the MNECB. When an energy analysis showed the preliminary design fell just short of meeting the target, a high-efficiency, condensing boiler was added to the mix, which helped nearly double the building's energy efficiency.

"For a condensing boiler to operate effectively, you need a big temperature drop across the heat exchanger. That worked well with this fire hall because of the heated slab, which helps allow a big temperature drop," says Jim Love, of Calgary consulting engineering firm Foraytek Inc., who conducted the energy analysis, partly funded by the ME first! program's energy audit refund.

"Alberta's municipalities are a vital part of what makes this province a great place to live, work and visit," said Municipal Affairs Minister Rob Renner. "I am delighted to see that this innovative project not only helps to save energy, but it also benefits and protects local residents by upgrading the local fire hall."